Pediatric Palliative Care Team (PaCT)
PaCT is a group of caregivers with expertise in pediatric palliative care. This is a specialty designed to help children of any age, from prenatal to young adults, and their families as they face complex, chronic, or potentially life-threatening illnesses.
We work with your child’s medical team to improve your child’s quality of life by reducing pain and troubling symptoms and allow families a chance to grow, personally and spiritually.
Palliative care treatments go hand-in-hand with the patient’s medical (curative) plan of care. The two are most beneficial and effective for families when offered together.
PaCT can help you with:
- Assistance with relief of pain and discomfort
- Reviewing and explaining medical information
- Clear communication and coordination with health care staff
- Reviewing short- and long-term care goals
- Help in making difficult decisions
- Reviewing end-of-life care when necessary
- Assistance with discharge planning
- Exploring home care options
- Support and care for the entire family (parents and siblings)
- Grief and bereavement support
- Hope, healing, quality, and comfort
What PaCT is not:
- Giving up
- Withholding care or taking away care
- Stopping medical treatment aimed at curing disease
- Taking over care from the primary medical team
- One size fits all
We are here to help you plan for and cope with whatever the future brings. Our goal is to support your family as you face the unimaginable and to help you down a path of healing.
Team Members
Rachna May, MD, FAAP Mary Browning, MS, APRN, CPNP-AC
Pediatric Palliative Care Director Perinatal Palliative Care Director
Jenna Sahli, DO Cari Epperson, LCSW
Pediatric Palliative Care Social Services
Amanda Page, MD
Pediatric Complex Care